Computing

• What are some forms of attack and threats posed to a network?

  Malware, phishing, social engineering, brute force attacks, denial of service attacks, data interception and theft, SQL injection
• What are three types of harmful software?

  • Malware
  • Phishing
  • Ransomware
• How can harmful software be prevented from causing damage?

  Using anti-malware, anti-virus, encryption, acceptable use policies, and backup and recovery procedures
• What does the term 'malware' refer to?

  Executable programs that run on a computer with the intent to cause harm
• What are two types of malware besides viruses?

  Worms and Trojan horses
• How do computer viruses infect other computers?

  By replicating their code in other programs and infecting other computers
• What is the primary function of a worm in malware?

  A worm replicates itself to spread to other computers
• How does a Trojan horse operate in the context of malware?

  A Trojan horse disguises itself as a desirable program to gain access to the computer
• What is ransomware designed to do?

  Hold a computer hostage by locking or encrypting access to it
• What happens if a ransom is paid to a ransomware attacker?

  Access to the computer is restored
• What are two ways hackers can exploit technical vulnerabilities?

  Unpatched software and out-of-date anti-malware
• What is social engineering in the context of network security?

  The ability to obtain confidential information by asking people for it
• What is shoulder surfing?

  The ability to obtain information or passwords by observing someone as they type
• What are two examples of shoulder surfing?

  Looking over someone's shoulder and using a CCTV camera
• What is phishing?

  A social engineering technique that tries to obtain personal information through deceptive emails, texts, or calls
• What are common signs of a phishing email?

  Unpersonalized greeting, forged sender address, requests for personal information, sense of urgency, poor spelling and grammar
• What occurs during a denial of service (DoS) attack?

  A hacker sends numerous requests to a server, causing it to slow down or go offline
• What is a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack?

  An attack where many computers are used to send requests to a server
• What is a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack?

  An attack that intercepts communications between a user and a server
• How can a hacker perform a man-in-the-middle attack?

  By connecting to unencrypted Wi-Fi
• What can happen if a USB stick containing malware is found and inserted into a computer?

  The malware can install onto the computer, allowing a hacker to gain access to files and personal data
• What was stolen from Staffordshire University in 2014?

  The details of 125,000 students, including addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses
• What are the risks associated with losing a mobile phone?

  Loss of all data stored on it, including passwords, account numbers, and credit card details
• How can malware target digital devices?

  By creating 'back doors' for malicious users to access the device
• What are some methods to reduce threats on mobile devices?

  • Use a strong password
  • Ensure data is encrypted
  • Avoid suspicious links in emails
  • Be cautious about sharing your phone number online
  • Research apps before installing
  • Delete all information before discarding the device
• What is a brute force attack?

  An attack where a hacker tries every combination of password until the correct one is found
• How does a computer program assist in a brute force attack?

  It can try millions of passwords per second
• What is SQL injection?

  A technique that takes advantage of web input forms to access or destroy data
• How can SQL commands be misused in web forms?

  By inputting SQL commands instead of expected data, causing damage or revealing personal information
• What is the outcome of entering a malicious SQL command like 'DROP TABLE Customers'?

  It can delete all company customer data
• What are the key forms of attack in network security?

  • Malware: Software that aims to harm computers and/or data
  • Phishing: Emails pretending to be from legitimate companies to gain personal information
  • Social engineering: Deception to gain personal information
  • Brute force attacks: Trying all possible passwords until the correct one is found
  • Denial of service attacks: Flooding a server with requests to cause failure
  • Data interception and theft: Stealing data or intercepting it
  • SQL injection: Using web forms to add SQL instructions that cause data loss